Hearts boss hopes derby Cup win sparks league revival

Gary Locke hopes the League Cup victory over Edinburgh rivals Hibs can spark a Hearts revival in the league.

Hearts, 15 points adrift at the foot of the table, earned a 1-0 victory at Easter Road to book a place in the last four.

"We put on a really good performance tonight but we need to start taking that into league games," Locke said.

"If we put that type of performance into league games, hopefully, we can start picking up points."

Hearts goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald kept Hibs at bay in the opening 25 minutes and the side clinched victory courtesy of Ryan Stevenson's stunning strike.

"It was a fantastic result and I think we need to thank our goalkeeper for keeping us in it in the first 20 minutes with some unbelievable saves." said Locke.

"After that, we changed a couple of things and grew into the game. And what a fantastic finish from Ryan Stevenson. He's got great physical presence and he held the ball up well.

"I don't think Jamie MacDonald had much to do in the second half, apart from at the end when Liam Craig nearly got in, but he earned his corn early in the game with one or two fantastic saves.

"Jamie's been like that all season and has been making some great saves. We put on a really good performance tonight but we need to start taking that into league games.

"Tonight we didn't make any mistakes and the mistakes we have made have been costing us. We're a young team and are learning all the time.

"If we put that type of performance into league games, hopefully, we can start picking up points."

Hearts' goal hero Stevenson described it as a "massive result" for the club and goalkeeper MacDonald added: "You could see the fight in the boys tonight and with a rub of the green we've got the result."